The End of the Beginning
by CJBH
Summary: Kilgarrah's warning had always haunted Merlin - "If the boy lives you cannot fulfil your destiny." Would they ever be able to escape the prophecy that foretold that Mordred would one day be the cause of Arthur's death? (Rubbish timing for posting this story after S5, ep 1, but never mind!) Reveal fic amongst other things! Short(ish) story BUT Chapter 2 is NOT the end of the story!
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note**_

_**This is a short(ish) story based on 3 or 4 images or scenes that have been in my head for several months. . Suddenly in the last 2 weeks, I decided I wanted to put them together into a short story (short because I don't have the time to turn the ideas into a full-blown one!) which would encapsulate the way I would love series 5 to end (tho' it probably won't!) I wanted to get it posted before the series started, but didn't manage it. Then when I watched the first episode I was in two minds as to whether to post it (for reasons that may become clear). However, as I'd already put a fair bit of effort into it I thought I may as well go ahead, and there will be one or two sentences added in the second chapter that are tweaks because of Episodes One and Two.**_

_**The title is, of course, linked to the title of the episode in the first series that featured Mordred . **_

_**NB Warning -There is major character death, but I won't say whose and all I'll say is – the story won't be over until the end of chapter 4! **_

_**PS After posting this I started reading the awesome fanfic "Dillisionment" - and noticed some similar phrases, ideas, etc. I promise - I didn't plagiarise them! **_

Prologue

_"If the boy lives, you cannot fulfil your destiny." _

_"What's he got to do with my destiny? You said it's my destiny to protect Arthur."_

_"Then you have the answer you seek."_

_"You're telling me that little boy is going to kill Arthur?"_

_"It seems that is up to you."_

- o -

_"Once before I warned you of the druid boy. It is his destiny to bring about Arthur's doom... the ancient prophecies speak of an alliance of Mordred and Morgana united in evil." _

_- o- _

The two separate encounters with Kilgharrah had haunted Merlin over the years. He would occasionally wake up in cold sweats in the dead of night, thinking about them. Would they ever be free of the prophecies of doom? Was there any way to escape the words that foretold Arthur's death?

Chapter 1

The two men stood facing each other on the battlefield – Arthur and Merlin - looking each other in the eye for the first time since that fateful day, the day that had changed everything. And that day had started with one of those duties that Merlin loathed….

- o -

It was yet another of those occasions when a man or woman accused of sorcery was brought before the court and before Arthur and put on trial for their life. Although Arthur examined the evidence more thoroughly than his father ever did, Merlin had watched his attitude to magic harden over the years, so that each trial was almost a foregone conclusion before it started. And each trial left Merlin fearing that Arthur would never be able to be free from his father's legacy of hatred towards his kind, and wondering whether the day would ever come when he could willingly and safely reveal to Arthur the truth that he had kept hidden from him for so long.

As the court waited, an old man in chains was led in, flanked by two guards. Merlin, standing as he usually did at the side of court off to Arthur's right, caught the suspected sorcerer's eye and there was something about him that seemed familiar, though Merlin couldn't put his finger on it – and it unsettled him. Arthur listened as the charges were read out – a litany of various acts of magic that the old man was supposed to have performed.

_Hello Emrys._

The words in his head came completely out of the blue and shocked and chilled Merlin to his very core – and when he suddenly looked up dumbfounded, he saw it was Mordred's eyes that were staring out of the elderly face at him, a face that was also wearing a twisted smile. And now here was the druid who was prophesied to bring about Arthur's death standing only feet from the king, and Merlin had panicked.

"My lord!" The man reading out the charges suddenly stopped and looked at Merlin, as Arthur also did with the unmistakeable look of annoyance on his face that he had whenever Merlin said or did anything in public that had the potential to embarrass him. "Are we sure that the man has no weapons concealed on his body?"

Arthur looked at Merlin with a dangerous expression on his face, dropping his voice and speaking to him in an icy tone that warned him off any further interruptions. "Merlin – of course he's been searched! Just stick to doing what you should be doing, and let me do my job!"

Merlin looked over at Gaius on the other side of the room, who immediately saw from the younger man's expression that something was seriously wrong, although Gaius was clearly unaware of the identity of the man standing before Arthur.

_Frightened for your master's safety, are you?_

Merlin felt panic rise in him even more when he heard the words of Mordred echoing inside his mind. Merlin fixed his eyes on Mordred watching his every move, every twitch of the aged body conjured by the same aging spell that Merlin himself had used, the spell that concealed the true identity of the sorcerer within. And Merlin readied himself to move, to defend Arthur at whatever moment Mordred chose to strike. But when the strike eventually came, it took Merlin completely unawares and unprepared.

"And what have you got to say to these charges?" The list had finished being read and Arthur turned his attention back to the accused man, and waited for him to reply to his question.

"I say that your servant is the one who should really be on trial here today….."

Arthur looked first at Mordred and then at Merlin with a look of complete non-comprehension on his face.

"…. He is, after all, the sorcerer known as Emrys."

Arthur actually laughed out loud.

"You can't put off your judgment by making ridiculous claims. Your time wasting won't work on me, old man."

"Time wasting?" Mordred continued, "Then why don't you ask him to swear his innocence on his mother's life?"

"I'm not going to play your little game, if that's what you think!" Arthur still considered it a joke and seemed more amused than perturbed by it all, but Merlin just stood there shocked to the core and unnerved by the calm confidence that seemed to be oozing from the young druid. He was also painfully aware that any eyes in the room that were not on Mordred were on him, and when his eyes met those of Gaius, he saw the panic there that mirrored his own.

And the druid continued: "Has your servant deceived you so totally that you can't bring yourself to even consider the possibility that he has hidden his true identity from you since the day he met you – hidden it so that he could continue using it and manipulating you when he needed to."

"That's not true!" Merlin had not been able to stop himself shouting the words out.

"Merlin!" Arthur's rebuke to his servant had the same sharp and dangerous edge to it as before, there because Arthur was beginning to feel he was losing control of the exchange in the courtroom.

But Mordred fixed his eyes on Merlin. "Not true that you hid your sorcery from the king or not true that you were manipulating him?"

And that was the moment that Merlin faltered for just a split second – and both Arthur and Mordred saw it, and Arthur suddenly felt less sure of himself.

"You're a liar!" It was the best defence that Merlin could think of but it earned another furious glare from Arthur, which was interrupted by another of Mordred's attacks.

"Ask him, your majesty, why he knew about the Lady Morgana's magic for two years before you did and yet never told you. Ask him why he suggested that Lady Morgana go to see the druids when she first discovered that she had magic. Ask him for yourself!"

A murmer went around the courtroom, and there was something about the expression on Merlin's face that shocked Arthur and left him with an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Your majesty!" Gaius spoke up in an effort to protect Merlin, which also had the effect of drawing Arthur's attention away from Merlin momentarily. "Your majesty, you cannot listen to these idle words – he is simply trying to avoid your judgment!"

"I am sure that his words are without foundation" but even as he had said the words, there was a panic that was beginning to rise within Arthur.

And Mordred continued, "Then you are blind and stupid Arthur Pendragon! You could not see it when first your sister betrayed you and then your uncle, and you are still too blind to see that you have been similarly deceived by the one who has wormed his way into your life so that there are none of your secret's or Camelot's secrets that he does not know."

"You will hold your tongue!" Arthur's eyes flashed with anger as he leapt to his feet.

"Then let me help you with your blindness!"

It happened so fast. A knife suddenly appeared in Mordred's hand from nowhere and was sent flying through the air by a single glint of his eyes – but not towards Arthur.

Merlin's hand went up instinctively, and every person in the room drew a sudden breath as the knife stopped in mid-air only a hand-breadth away from Merlin's chest, hung there for a moment, and then clattered to the ground at his feet.

And as Arthur stared horrified and in utter shock at Merlin, Mordred uttered the spell that Morgause had used before, that filled the room with swirling wind and drew his garments up into shreds in the air as he disappeared before their very eyes, leaving a courtroom in shock and with every eye fixed upon Merlin.

"Arthur….," Merlin started in a pleading voice, but he was cut short by the king's curt and icy response. "You will use the proper form of address for your king – and you will do me the courtesy of speaking the truth when I address you."

The tone in Arthur's voice was like a stab to the heart to Merlin, and he saw in Arthur's eyes not only shock and anger, but also deep hurt as the feeling of being betrayed once more began to sweep over him, threatening to engulf him.

Merlin started once again, "Your majesty, I only ever used it for you, not against you!"

"I will be the judge of that." Again, Arthur's tone was cold and hard, and he turned his back on his friend to face the back wall of the court chambers as he said the words. As the members of the court shifted uneasily and looked around at each other, nobody daring to speak, Arthur stared in silence at the wall for a long time, as his mind tried to take in the enormity of what had just happened, and make sense of all the contradictory thoughts and emotions that were besieging him. Merlin couldn't begin to imagine what was going on in Arthur's mind and the king's silent stance gave him no clues, but after what felt like an eternity, he finally turned to Merlin to speak again.

"When did you first use sorcery in Camelot?"

"On the day that I arrived."

"And you have used it ever since then?"

"Yes, sire."

"In my presence?"

"Sometimes, sire."

"Are you in league with Morgana?"

"No, sire – never."

"So, it was a lie that you sent her to the druids?"

"No – that was true - but it was before her magic turned evil."

"So you did know of her magic and yet didn't inform me of it."

"I wanted to…."

Arthur cut any further response short, "And yet you didn't. And have you ever aided others with magic or hidden their identity or helped them to escape?"

Merlin thought of Freya, of Gilli, of Edwin, of the druid woman

"Yes."

"Which of those things?"

"All of them, sire."

Again Arthur paused and his mind began racing over many of the occurrences that had puzzled him over the years. His thoughts came to rest on the appearance of a second dragon. "The dragon's egg. You said it had been destroyed. Was that a lie?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"You took it and deliberately hid it from me?"

"Yes."

"And were you responsible in any way for it hatching?"

"Yes, sire."

Arthur turned away to face the back of the courtroom again, as he struggled with the ever increasing sense of betrayal. "And the release of the dragon – do you know who was responsible for that?"

"Arthur….." There was again both the pleading tone in Merlin's voice and, as Arthur turned back to face him again, the cold expression on Arthur's face that left Merlin feeling he barely knew the person who was standing in front of him at that moment – although Arthur felt exactly the same thing.

"You will answer my question – who released the dragon?"

"I did, your majesty."

Another wave of shock reverberated around the courtroom, and Arthur put out his hand to his chair, as if he needed its arm to steady him.

"Do you know how many innocent people in Camelot died as a result of that dragon?" Arthur spat out the question, his anger evident to all.

"Your majesty!" Again, Gaius tried to intervene. "If you knew the whole story, my lord, you would see Merlin only ever acted for the good."

But Gaius' words acted like another stab in the heart - but this time to Arthur, and when he spoke there was deep hurt in his voice. "You knew all this, Gaius? You knew, but deceived me too?" The sense of betrayal was almost too much for the king, and he knew he had to ask the next question, though he feared asking it more than anything else, and those who knew Arthur well heard the choked tone in his voice as he asked it: "Who else here knew about your magic?"

Merlin paused before answering, and hated the answer he knew he had to give, knowing what it would do to Arthur. "Only Lancelot." And as Merlin had known, the mention of that name only brought to Arthur's mind the memory of how two others close to him had betrayed him, and Merlin could only guess at the pain that Arthur was feeling at the moment, though his own was barely less.

And suddenly the penny dropped – the recognition there had been when he had looked into the eyes of the old sorcerer when he first met him when he had been planting the magic poultice. "It was you, wasn't it?" But Arthur wasn't thinking about the action that had led to Gwen's reprieve from the stake. "It was you who brought about my father's death by your sorcery!"

Again, there were more gasps around the courtroom, and again a desperate attempt to intervene by Gaius.

"My lord – your father was dying anyway, and Merlin's spell which was intended to heal was only thwarted by Morgana."

Gaius thought it unwise to point out to Arthur in public that he had been the one who had sought magic for his father's healing in the first place – but whether Arthur remembered this at that point or not wasn't clear, and he was already in too much inner turmoil to think clearly anyway. He simply added with the same cold tone in his voice as before, "But he hastened my father's death."

And for several moments there was utter silence in the courtroom as Arthur and Merlin looked at each other, and to those in the room it was difficult to tell which of the two was in greater misery – although Arthur's misery at that point was closer to anger and Merlin's closer to despair. And with a coldness that broke Merlin's heart, Arthur finally spoke again.

"One final matter – did you ever use magic on me?"

"Yes."

"And did you ever use it to control me?"

"Yes…." The memory of taking over Arthur's will to get him out of Camelot when he was wounded was still quite fresh in his mind, but the admission of it led to more sounds of shock around the court room, and Merlin added in desperation, "I had to – to save you."

"But you used it to over-rule what you knew I would do?"

"Yes."

Arthur looked pale and too shocked by it all to speak, and for what seemed like an eternity, he just stared at the floor. When he finally looked up and met the eyes for one last time of the one he had called his friend for so long, Merlin just shook his head sadly and said simply and quietly to Arthur, "How could I tell you?" but the king just responded, "How could you not?"

Arthur looked down at the floor for several more moments, and then looked up and towards Merlin, but not looking him in the eye, and in a dull voice began his judgment: "You have been found guilty of sorcery. My father decreed that there was only one sentence that could be passed for that crime…."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It had been a risk, of course. Mordred and Morgana had not known exactly how either Arthur or Merlin would react when they manipulated the trial as they had done. Ever since Mordred had been turned back to Morgana by Arthur's continuing hatred of magic and they had been reunited, she had finally known the identity of Emrys – and everything had suddenly make sense. It seemed obvious to Morgana, looking back, that it had been Merlin all along – that he had been the reason why Arthur kept escaping her clutches and why snatching the kingdom from him and his father had been so difficult. But the knowledge of Merlin's gifts that Mordred had had from the day they met gave them power and opportunity – the chance to drive a wedge between the two men. Together, Merlin and Arthur were strong, almost unassailable; but if they could be ripped apart, then they could both be defeated much more easily. And exposing Merlin's secret in front of not only Arthur but the whole court - exposing him on their terms, rather than his – had every chance of fracturing their relationship. If they were lucky, Merlin would be executed, but whatever the outcome, it was unlikely to be a good one for either of the men. And they had not been wrong…

- O -

Even as Arthur began to pronounce the judgment, he felt as though he were trapped in a nightmare. He didn't know what to do, didn't know what to think. Had Guinevere been standing by his side, the outcome might have been different, but Arthur hadn't felt the need for her to be there at the trial and so just when he needed her most, she was making one of her mercy trips to the lower town. And now Arthur was in turmoil. _Merlin was his best friend, but how could he be when he had lied to him ever since the day they had met. Merlin had been there for him countless times, but why? What was a sorcerer doing as his servant? Had he really been manipulating him all along? But Merlin had risked his life for him – or had __everything__ been a deception? He had used magic on him without him even knowing – magic to control him – how could someone do that and really be a friend? But surely he __had__ still been there for him on countless occasions – how could he put him to death? But he had trusted Merlin, and Merlin had lied to him. Why did everyone he cared for betray him – was he really so unworthy of their respect and trust? What would the people think of a king who had been so utterly deceived by all those who were closest to him? His father would surely be utterly ashamed of him. _

"…..My father decreed that there was only one sentence that could be passed for that crime…."

"You cannot do this!" Gwaine had stepped forward and was marching towards Arthur, anger and indignation in his eyes and in his voice.

"Restrain him."

The guards stepped forwards at Arthur's command, took hold of both Gwaine's arms and dragged him back from the king. The other knights looked nervously at each other, unsure of what would happen next, but Gwaine could not and would not be silenced so easily. Merlin's magic had been just as much of a shock to him as for everyone else, but he didn't have Arthur's deep seated prejudice to cloud his judgment – and he let the king know exactly what he thought.

"Are you completely stupid?! How can you doubt Merlin? He's done everything for you! You're acting like a complete and utter fool! If you send him to his death, I'll…."

But the court never heard the rest of Gwaine's threat.

"HOLD YOUR TONGUE!" Arthur bellowed at him with such ferocity that a sudden silence fell on the whole room. "Take him to the cells and he can stay there until he's cooled off enough to apologise for his words!"

But this only led to Gwaine shouting at the top of his voice as he was hauled away, "Well, then, I'm going to be there for a very long time….."

And just as there was a moment's pause as the doors were closing behind Gwaine, and before Arthur had a chance to say or think anything else, Gaius stepped forward.

"Your majesty. I am just as responsible as Merlin for all his actions. I knew about his magic from the start, and supported and encouraged him in all he did." Although the last phrase wasn't strictly speaking true, Gaius wanted to stand completely with Merlin. "Any sentence that you pass on him should equally be my sentence."

Arthur stood looking at the old man who had brought him into the world, and somewhere, deep down inside, there was a part of him that still couldn't accept that either Gaius or Merlin truly meant him harm. But the pain of the deceit was too raw and the fresh sense of betrayal too acute to acknowledge that. Gaius' words did, however, have the effect that the wise old physician wanted – of saving Merlin's life. Gaius held Arthur's gaze, and it was the king who was the first to look away. He didn't look at either of the two men as he gave his final judgment.

"You are both banished from Camelot forever. You will leave by sundown."

And that was it. In only a dozen words, he tore down a lifelong relationship and expelled his most trusted friend - and the one who was his guardian. And in doing so, Arthur fulfilled the prophecy that had been made about his bane.

But before anyone moved or said anything else, Arthur swept rapidly out of the room and down the corridor and when he was sure he was out of sight of any person, he broke into a run and found his way, unseen, to a far tower of the citadel and took himself up to the very top of the deserted tower and when outside, far above and away from the sounds of Camelot and its people, he finally broke down and wept. And when the sobbing that wracked his whole body eventually subsided, he just sat with his back against the hard stone, barely moving and numb from the shock, and even when the rain started, he still didn't move. The hours passed, and although Arthur knew that people – Guinevere in particular – would be worried and probably frantic at his disappearance, he was beyond caring. He could not bear to go down before sundown, with the possibility that he might see Merlin again, and when it was finally dark and he had composed himself enough to be seen in public, he slowly felt his way down the dark, spiral stone steps and back out in the world of Camelot to face a city that he had lost all desire to rule.

- O -

Events unfolded rapidly after that. It was a mercy that Gaius had been banished with Merlin, because it was only the older man's wise counsel that stopped Merlin sinking into deep despair and giving up completely. It was Gaius who clung on to the destinies of both Merlin and Arthur and rallied the young warlock, pointing out to him, as the two of them made their way to Ealdor, that the trial had, of course, been caused and manipulated by Morgana and Mordred, to separate them and thereby remove Arthur's protection. Gaius reasoned that there would be more to their plan and that Arthur was now in greater danger than ever. And so it was that Merlin finally put his pain and despair to one side and chose to hope instead, and he called on the great dragon even before they reached Ealdor. And Kilgarrah told them of the army that the witch and the druid had been amassing – an army of all who were practitioners of their sort of brutal magic and of those who had grudges against Arthur, or who, for whatever reason, wished to see the king and Camelot overthrown. And they united under the banner of the two intertwined snakes – the emblem of the alliance of Mordred and Morgana.

But a very different army also began to be amassed. Kilgarrah summoned Aithusa and between them they brought under their control and the control of the Last Dragonlord every wyvern in the five kingdoms and beyond, and many other magical creatures were drawn to their ranks as well. With many messengers that could fly at their command, urgent messages were sent out to those who would give their loyalty to Emrys. Chief amongst his allies was the warrior priest Alator of the Catha, who brought a sizeable army with him. But there were others, including such individuals as Gilli who had grown in wisdom and ability since Merlin had last seen him, and the men of Ealdor who made up in determination what they lacked in battle skills, all of them mindful of how Arthur had risked his life for them. And there were the druids – hundreds of them who gave their allegiance to Emrys, and although they would not bear arms, their healing skills were formidable, as were their powers to protect and to restrain evil. And Merlin did not want his own emblem, preferring simply to march under the banner of the dragon, which was, after all, not only Arthur's emblem but also, in many ways, his. But Merlin was acutely aware that time was not on his side.

Arthur, however, did not fare so well in Camelot. Although Guinevere did what she could to try to lift Arthur, it seemed that he only slid further into dejection and a black depression that sapped him of all his energy and the will to govern Camelot. It was only when the reports started coming in of the approaching army, that his sense of duty to his people raised him enough to take action to make the city ready for the onslaught that was about to come. And although the queen pleaded with him not to, he sent her away from the city under the cover of darkness in the care of Percival and half a dozen other of his most trusted knights, with instructions to get her over the border to any of their allies whom they could reach.

- O -

The onslaught when it came was brutal and bloody. And Gaius had been right. Morgana and Mordred had known that when Arthur and Emrys stood together, they were a formidable foe, but when separated each would be easier to defeat – and they chose to strike Arthur first. Although Arthur and his knights and soldiers fought valiantly and bravely there was little that they could do to resist not only the sheer numbers of the opposing army but the magic that was wielded so freely by them. Leon had begged Arthur to flee the city and find safely, but Arthur was adamant that he would not abandon his people, and Gwaine – who had grimly put his differences with Arthur aside to fight alongside the king (if only because he knew that that was what Merlin would want him to do) – realised, looking back, how it must have been Merlin's influence that compelled Arthur to leave Camelot the last time it had fallen to Morgana. And when the city finally fell to her for the last time, there was nowhere for Arthur to run. Although Arthur was ready to fight to the death, and though he fought courageously and successfully against a surprisingly large number of Morgana's men who attempted to take him, he knew it was over when he saw both Morgana and Mordred moving purposefully towards him, demolishing anyone in their path who opposed them with what seemed to be the minimum of effort. It took only seconds for Morgana's witchcraft to disarm Arthur and to cast him against the nearest stone wall like a rag-doll, and the conquered king was dragged unconscious inside the citadel.

When Arthur finally came round, he found himself lying on the floor in the throne room, only a matter of feet from Morgana, who was by this time sitting once again on the throne that she had desired for so long. Arthur had been stripped of his armour, and he found that both his wrists were in iron manacles behind his back. An involuntary groan - he had been slammed into the wall with considerable force – alerted his sister to the fact that her quarry had regained consciousness at last.

"Arthur – how kind of you to finally join us." Her words were heavy with sarcasm, and Mordred who was standing to her right had an expression of contempt on his face as he silently scrutinised Arthur. Morgana nodded to two of her guards who immediately went and grasped hold of the tops of his arms and pulled him roughly into a kneeling position before her.

"Your father knelt before me just as you are doing now, but I'm afraid that you're not going to last anywhere near as long as he did!"

"Why don't you just kill me now then?" Arthur's tone was sullen and he fixed his eyes unflinchingly on his sister.

"All in good time, Arthur, all in good time." Her words were spoken with relish and with a cruel smile on her face. "I thought we could have a little chat first."

And Morgana proceeded to mock and taunt Arthur with every word she spoke. One of her chief themes was why he had been, in her opinion, such a weak king, and she delighted to point out to him that he seemed to be incapable of trusting the right people. She listed all those he had trusted but who had betrayed him, a list that he was only too well aware of – it had gone through his mind again and again after the trial. But she didn't stop at that - she also poured scorn on him for mistrusting the people who had been his greatest allies and supporters. She couldn't resist mocking him for the fact that he hadn't trusted Gwen and hadn't even thought to consider the possibility that she had been enchanted when she had been found with Lancelot. But she took greatest delight in pointing out to him his most recent and grave mistake – banishing the person who had kept him alive and been so loyal to him for so long, finishing by pointing out that it was his prejudice against her kind that was now the cause of his own downfall.

Both Arthur and Mordred had remained virtually silent during her rant: whilst Mordred's silence was simply because he had nothing in particular to add since Morgana was doing such a good job of denouncing her brother, Arthur didn't speak because he knew that he couldn't contradict much of what she said and as she multiplied his misery, he could only fix his gaze on the floor. And she finished with the words that pierced him like a sword to his heart, because he knew without a doubt that they were true: "Do you know who your greatest enemy is, Arthur – the person who's really responsible for your ruin?" She didn't wait for him to answer. "You are!"

But when Arthur finally spoke it was still with defiance. "Whatever my errors in judging others, I know one thing: I am right in my belief that the throne is not rightfully yours and also that your treatment of the citizens of this kingdom has demonstrated beyond all doubt that you are not and will never be fit to rule this land!"

That did finally evoke a response from Mordred who suddenly stepped forward and struck Arthur forcefully across the mouth with the back of his hand, leaving blood trickling down his face. "You will show more respect to your queen!"

"I always show the greatest of respect to my queen, but her name is Guinevere!"

A quick nod from Morgana to the guards who still held Arthur led to suitable retribution for what would be his last ever words to his sister, resulting in a sharp cry of pain from him. Morgana's parting words were said with a look of triumph on her face: "You can defy me all you like, Arthur, but by this time tomorrow Camelot and this kingdom will finally be free from you and your father's legacy, and I shall send you to join him in hell!" And then a final nod to the guards: "Take him to the dungeon and teach him some manners – just don't kill him."

- O -

The following dawn saw Mordred and a sizeable number of their forces leaving the city – their job was done, the city was under their control, and Mordred felt no great need to be there for the executions. Whilst Morgana's chief vendetta was against Arthur – mainly as a result of his father – Mordred's was against Merlin, never forgetting what the druid perceived as the warlock's betrayal of him. The plan was that Mordred should lead their army under the emblem of the entwined snakes out against all the remaining strongholds of Camelot and its allies, securing their new kingdom, before finally hunting Emrys down and destroying him. And so Mordred left Morgana to deal with the vanquished king and his followers, whilst he went to join the remainder of their forces camped near the small village of Camlann.

And Arthur's fate at Morgana's hand, when it came the next morning, was a nightmare far worse than he had even feared. He was brought out, still in the same manacles, into the main square, and – heavily bruised and bloodied as a result of the 'lessons' from the guards – was forced to kneel beside the block and the axe that would be the means of his execution, with two of Morgana's burly henchmen on each side of him, pressing down heavily on his shoulders to keep him kneeling. He had also been gagged – Morgana didn't want any last words of defiance from him. She wanted him to be completely under her power, and so she took away from him the last freedom he had, that of speech. But Morgana in her cruelty had something else for Arthur first, for there were also gallows in the square – and more ominously, a stake around which brushwood had been stacked.

Morgana came and stood beside him – she wanted to see and to feel his anguish, and she dealt him her final blow. "Well, brother – I thought I'd give you some entertainment as a last treat before you die." Her words chilled him to the core, and she watched as fresh despair entered his eyes, as every person who was loyal and dear to him and still alive was brought out in chains before him. They were lined up – with Leon and the rest of the knights closest to Arthur at the head of the line - to be led to the gallows and hung whilst he watched, powerless to do anything about it. But worst was still to come: all colour drained from his face and a muffled and strangled cry of anguish came from him when he saw Guinevere being led out - the attempt to protect her had failed when she and Percival and the others had found themselves ambushed.

And Morgana knew how to torture Arthur further: "It was so disappointing not to see dear Gwen go the stake on that previous occasion, so it only seemed fitting to rectify that now. It was Merlin, of course, who saved her from the flames then, but since you've banished him, it doesn't look like there's going to be any reprieve for her this time. Poor Gwen!" And Arthur watched as Gwen was led in terror to the stake and bound to it, and as the tears flowed silently down Arthur's face, Morgana looked him in the eye, ignoring his pleading expression, and simply said, "Goodbye Arthur." And with that she left him, to go up to the balcony from where she would give the sign for the executions to begin.

- O -

But Morgana's eyes had not been on the peasants who had also filled the square to see the grim spectacle, and amongst those who were standing there that morning were a number whose true identity was hidden by rough brown cloaks and hoods. Merlin had crept through a door and up some stairs inside and watched all that was happening from a window near the balcony, and could barely endure seeing those he cared for in such anguish and despair. But he knew that there was a plan that he had to stick to – a plan that had been formed hurriedly the night before, as they had infiltrated and taken stock of the city and all that was happening. And Merlin knew that his role was to face Morgana – to meet her before she ever reached the balcony to issue her cruel orders – and to leave Arthur to the others who were down in the square. Besides, the truth was that he wasn't sure he was ready to face Arthur again. Merlin knew that his own loyalty to Arthur hadn't been changed, despite all the hurt and rejection he'd felt, but he still didn't really know how Arthur would react to seeing him again – and he wasn't sure if he could take another cold rebuff from him. What he didn't know was that Morgana's words had pushed Arthur back towards his friend again. The lies were still a source of pain, but no longer did Arthur question Merlin's loyalty.

And when Merlin was sure that Morgana had started up the spiral staircase that led up to the balcony, he gave the signal, as a golden gleam from his eyes ignited a barrel in the corner of the square - and at the signal, everything changed. Hoods were thrown back, arrows from cross-bows flew, pulses of energy criss-crossed the square, and Morgana's forces were no match for the powerful magic that was wielded by the warrior priests, and soon the knights of Camelot found themselves being both liberated and armed by the forces loyal to Emrys, and the true queen found herself free and in safe hands.

Those guarding Arthur had been amongst the first to fall, and Arthur suddenly found two others standing over him as he remained chained and on his knees. Although he knew neither of their names, he recognised one of them. He had met the druid leader Iseldir the time he had returned the boy Mordred to them, and then again – and the memory brought shame - when he had taken the cup of life from them. The skin of the second man, whose name he would later learn was Alator, clearly bore symbols of magic, and this was the man who knelt down beside him and spoke the quiet but powerful words that caused the chains to fall from his wrists. Iseldir meanwhile begin untying the gag, and as Arthur turned his tear stained face to look up at the druid, he found only kindness in his eyes. And even as the chaos raged around them, Iseldir took a small flask from under his cloak and urged Arthur to drink from it. Although its healing properties did not match those of the cup of life, Arthur nevertheless felt both the pain in his body and the pain in his heart soothed by the sweet liquid and after all his terror and anguish, he felt strangely peaceful. Alator and Iseldir then raised Arthur to his feet, and Arthur was amazed to find the man whom he didn't know speaking to him with both kindness and an obvious air of considerable authority. And Alator, calling him _your majesty,_ urged him to be strong for a battle that still lay ahead, and when he laid his hand on the young king's shoulder, Arthur had the unmistakable impression that strength and healing were again somehow flowing in to him. But what made more difference than anything else was when Alator somehow produced Excalibur and offered its hilt to Arthur, saying, "Merlin bade me bring this to you. He asked me also give you these words from him: _I still believe in you, my friend._"

- O -

And not far away, on a stone spiral staircase leading upwards, Morgana had suddenly stopped in her tracks and fear had gripped her as she saw Merlin making his way down to meet her. And the words of the Cailleach suddenly ran through her head once more and chilled her to the core: _The one they call Emrys will walk in your shadow. He is your destiny and he is your doom. _But Merlin didn't strike. He stood before her and simply offered her one last chance to turn back to the path she had left so long ago. But Morgana was haunted by the words that were still in her head, and she wanted to run, but the only way open to her was down the way she had just come up. But as she turned in her haste, she lost her balance as she had done once before and tumbled backwards down the hard stone steps to her death, and although Merlin was her doom, and it was her fear of him that killed her in the end. And Merlin grieved for what could have been – and for the person he had once known.

It was the sounds of Camelot being reclaimed that drew Merlin back to the task in hand, and he ran back up to the balcony to survey the scene. He couldn't help but smile when he saw Arthur standing flanked by a druid and by another warlock. But by the time Arthur turned to look up at the balcony to see what others were staring at, Merlin had gone.

Mordred and the army he commanded was still a very real concern – but more than that, there was the prophecy about Mordred that haunted Merlin – and the vision that he had seen of a battlefield and of Arthur's fall there. But Merlin had also been thinking of another vision he had had: the vision in the crystal cave. That too had been a vision that showed him the future. He hadn't been able to stop the events that he had seen – but the one thing he had changed was the final outcome. Much as he wanted to prevent Arthur leading out the army against Mordred, to keep him away from the battle, he knew that that wouldn't work. But hadn't Kilgarrah said he had been shown the vision of Arthur and Mordred for a reason? If he could be there, if he could stand between them, then he could change the final outcome again. And so he needed to find Mordred and keep a watch on him, so that he wouldn't be taken unawares by him, and so that he could be there to protect Arthur in his hour of greatest need. And Merlin knew that he had to find Mordred and follow him before Arthur reached the battlefield – and so once more he called upon Kilgarrah to bear him where he needed to go.

- O -

The battle when it finally began was a fierce one – and there had never been one like it in the whole of Camelot's history. Arthur and his knights faced a foe unlike any they had done before, but they also had allies unlike any they had had before. Arthur had rapidly formed a strong bond with Alator – they both found they liked each other and formed an easy partnership on the battlefield, although Arthur found himself on a steep learning curve as he fought alongside someone who wielded magic – though he also found his own sword could accomplish feats he would never have expected. Not that his own knights were needed any less than before. More than once Arthur found himself fighting near Leon or Percival, and more than once they saved each other's lives at the Battle of Camlann, as it came to be known. But Arthur found himself near Gwaine at one particularly memorable moment – it was the moment that both of them saw for the first time Merlin riding on the back of the dragon, and it was almost their downfall. Both of them had stood dumbfounded looking at the sight (although Gwaine's version of being dumbfounded also involved a number of expletives), and they momentarily took their eyes off the battle. It was only Alator's quick intervention that saved them from being taken unawares by Mordred's men.

Eventually Merlin had to alight from the dragon to be able to get closer to Mordred. Besides, Kilgarrah and Aithusa found themselves kept busy by having to protect the forces of Arthur and Merlin from overhead attacks from other airborne creatures that Mordred had summoned from dark places. But slowly the banners of the dragon began to be more evident on the field that the banners with the snakes, although each and every advance was at great cost.

And then Merlin saw it. He saw Arthur over to his left, looking bloodied and weary, but still fighting with skill and determination and he saw Mordred to his right, and Mordred's eyes were fixed on the king and he was moving towards him. Merlin had done everything he could to remain unseen by the druid, and Merlin knew that the moment had come – the moment that his destiny had been leading up to. He saw Arthur turn and catch sight of Mordred, and then – in one swift move – Merlin was there, between them, and Mordred stopped as he found himself facing, not Arthur, but Merlin – and the hatred in Mordred's eyes burned stronger than before.

It was as if the rest of the battlefield grew quieter as every warrior's attention was drawn to the confrontation that began to rage between the warlock and the druid. Both had formidable powers at their disposal, and both used them: great fireballs that were propelled through the air, weapons drawn from the debris of the battle and flung at each other, whirlwinds, and sheer force that flung the other back again and again. It seemed that at times Merlin had the upper hand and at other times Mordred. But in the end, the equation that described their battle was unbalanced in Merlin's favour by one thing and one thing alone: Mordred was fighting with hate and a sense of betrayal in his heart, whereas Merlin was fighting with love and a sense of loyalty – and the latter was stronger. There was a moment – the tiniest moment – when Mordred had caught sight of Arthur behind Merlin and it had distracted him for just a fraction of a second, but that was enough. With everything that was in him, Merlin had sent Mordred flying backwards and when the druid hit the ground, he did not stir. There was a pause, and then it was suddenly as if the whole battlefield let out the collective breath that it had been holding, and from that point on, the tables were finally and decisively turned for Arthur and Merlin, and for Camelot. And the sun began to break through the grey clouds that had been hanging over the battlefield, as if nature itself was showing that the darkness had finally been defeated.

- O -

And there they stood – Arthur and Merlin - facing each other at last, and looking each other in the eye for the first time since the trial. And each had the hint of a smile on their face.

Arthur was the first to break the silence.

"You – a dragonlord?"

"I kept telling you I had many talents, but you wouldn't believe me. In fact, the message that I really wanted to send to you with the sword was, _I still believe in you, __dollophead_."

Arthur chuckled, but then looked away, suddenly feeling awkward again about what had happened between them. And this time it was Merlin who spoke – drawing Arthur's eyes back to him - and he spoke softly but with utter sincerity: "I'm sorry that I lied to you."

Arthur shrugged his shoulders slightly, and looked momentarily upwards and away again, not quite able to look Merlin in the eyes as he gave his reply. "At least you didn't come close to sending your friend to his death at the stake or the gallows," and Arthur brought his gaze down to meet Merlin's again: "I'm sorry too."

Merlin paused, and then replied, "Well, you can buy me a drink sometime."

And Arthur put his head back and laughed, remembering that that had been Merlin's suggestion the first time he had ever apologized to his servant all those years ago.

"I think I might actually do that this time – after all, I can scarcely call you my servant any more!"

Merlin laughed too, and for a moment they stood holding each other's gaze before finally doing the one thing that had taken so long to come – they embraced: as friends, as brothers, as equals, not a quick embrace characterised by a slight embarrassment, but a warm and sustained one that finally acknowledged that each needed the other and was in some way incomplete without the other. And those loyal to both Arthur and Merlin watched the two men and smiled.

But with all eyes on them, it was only Arthur, looking over Merlin's right shoulder as they stood embracing, who saw the awful truth that no-one else saw: that not all their enemies who lay fallen on the battlefield were dead. Because not far away behind Merlin was a young man with dark hair and piercing eyes who was still alive – only barely, but enough. And those piercing eyes were fixed on Merlin, seeking revenge for the failure of his plan and even more so, for the death of Morgana – and Arthur saw the glint of the knife in Mordred's hand as he went to propel it by magic towards the unseeing warlock whose power had brought about their defeat. There was no time to shout a warning, no time for Arthur to do anything other than push his friend with all his might towards the ground in the hope of avoiding the path of the dagger as it began to fly through the air. But Arthur didn't just push forward. He had no magic to protect his friend, but what he did have was his own body to use as a shield. And so Arthur twisted them both as they fell – turning Merlin's back away from Mordred's dagger and his own towards it - and towards the fate that he couldn't escape.

It all happened so quickly, and Merlin also had no time - no time to realise what was happening, no time to slow the flow of events down by a look of his eyes – not, that is, until the very last moment – the moment when it was too late to make a difference, the moment when the twisting motion of Arthur's body finally turned Merlin's face towards Mordred and towards the dagger that was already virtually all the way to embedding itself deep into Arthur's back, piercing his heart. And suddenly everything became like a dream in slow motion, as the two friends hit the ground together.

There was the desperate cry for help that came from Merlin's lips, the anger that welled up within him as he dealt with Mordred in a split-second, instinctively calling lightning down from the sky as he had done once before and striking Mordred dead on the spot. There was the confusion and frantic shouting, and Leon pulling the knife from the king's back, and the terrible moments when Merlin knelt and held Arthur in his arms, the words of magic tumbling from his lips in an unbroken flow as he laid a hand over the deep wound, from which blood was beginning to spill out onto the ground. And all the time his mouth was speaking the words of magic, his heart was screaming over and over the same words: _This is not how it's meant to be! I am meant to protect you, Arthur, and give my life for you – not the other way round. This is wrong. This was not meant to happen! _But then Arthur's hand suddenly grasped hold of his and gripped it tight, and he looked into Merlin's eyes, and silently mouthed just three words – _thank you, friend. _And as Merlin watched the light in his bright blue eyes begin to fade and felt his grip weaken, the young warlock again repeated his desperate incantations. But when he looked into Arthur's eyes again only moments later, they were empty - and Merlin knew that he had gone. And no one on the battlefield that day ever forgot the terrible cry of anguish that came from the depths of Merlin's being as he cradled in his arms the lifeless body of the young king – his friend and soul-mate - knowing that the words of the prophecy that he had feared the most had finally been fulfilled.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Arthur gradually became aware that he was standing in a meadow. It felt like he had just awoken from a dream, or had been daydreaming and had just come back to reality. Either way, he had no idea how long he had been standing there – it could have been a few moments or a lifetime. Not that it bothered him. He drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he began to look around him, and he almost felt overwhelmed by the peacefulness that seemed to infuse not only the air around him but his very soul.

The sun felt warm and extremely pleasant on his back, and there was a gentle breeze blowing through the wild flowers and the knee-length grass that surrounded him. The breeze seemed to be laden with the fragrance of a myriad of plants and flowers, and everything seemed to have a richness about it. Arthur could see, beyond the meadow, grassy hills, woods and distant mountains which seemed so bright that he could barely look at them. He was sure that he didn't recognise any of what he saw, but there was also a strange sense of familiarity about it – almost as if he were…. _home. Yes, that was the word for it._

The strangeness of it all didn't trouble him. If anything, he felt a wonderful curiosity. And there was something about the mountains that filled him with a deep sense of longing. He was just about to head off towards them when he suddenly heard a soft voice calling out his name from behind him - and he instantly knew the voice. He turned around to face his mother, but when he saw Ygraine, she looked so different from how he'd seen her before in that strange, faraway dream. Then she had seemed frail and troubles weighed upon her. Here she was radiant and there was laughter in her eyes. And almost immediately Arthur was standing in her embrace, with tears streaming down his face. He wasn't entirely sure why he was crying – he certainly didn't feel at all sad - but all he knew was that each tear seemed to leave him feeling lighter inside, as if it bore away some heaviness that he had carried with him for a very long time.

Eventually they stood apart again, and Ygraine smiled at him with a smile that seemed to light up her whole face, and she simply said, "Welcome, Arthur!" And it was at that point that the unspoken question in his mind was finally verbalised. "Where am I?"

But she simply laughed with merriment in her eyes, and asked him in return, "Do you not know?" His brow furrowed for a moment, not through worry or concern but because he was trying to concentrate and collect his thoughts and make sense of them. And after a moment he looked up at her and simply said, "Am I dead?"

Again she laughed – not a mocking laughter, but the laughter of one who has a wonderful secret or good news to share. "Do you feel dead?"

And Arthur thought again, and then laughed out loud at the seeming ridiculousness of the question he had asked – _of course he didn't feel dead!_

But before the conversation went any further, Ygraine suddenly looked up and seemed to be listening – as if she was hearing something, a voice that could only be heard by her. Arthur stood watching her, not wanting to interrupt whatever was happening, and after a few more moments of silence she smiled and spoke again. "He understands." Arthur had no idea what she was talking about, but before he had time to ask her what she meant he suddenly felt something – as if someone was pulling at the loose white tunic he was wearing. The sensation was so real that he turned, expecting to see someone else behind him, but there was no one there. He turned back to Ygraine – _but there it was again_ – and when he looked behind him once more, there was still no one there, and Arthur had a puzzled look on his face as he turned to face Ygraine yet again. But even before he could voice his question, he felt the same sensation for a third time, although this time he realised that it wasn't so much a feeling of someone pulling his shirt, as someone pulling _him_.

Before Arthur could speak, Ygraine answered his question for him: "He is calling you back."

"Who?"

"Merlin. He understands."

_Merlin. _The name suddenly brought a new memory to Arthur's mind. _Yes…. Merlin was his friend. _Arthur smiled ruefully at his mother. "I'm not sure I understand!" And once more he felt the pull on his back.

Ygraine took Arthur's hands in hers. "You were given a name, Arthur – the Once and Future King. Do you remember it?"

Arthur thought, and it was as if, once again, there was a sudden flash of a memory from a dream that had faded with coming of a new day. "Yes, I remember."

"It is not only your title Arthur – it is your destiny."

"I still don't understand."

Ygraine smiled warmly once again. "Arthur, you have been king once, but that time has now passed. But it was decreed that you should be king again, and rise with a future reign before you. It is Merlin who now stands between the king who was once, and the king who will be – and because your soul is so closely knit with his, it is he alone who has the authority to call you back to fulfil the rest of your destiny. I was sent to meet you before you travelled further into this land and to explain to you why you have to return."

For the first time since he had become conscious of being in that land, Arthur felt a sadness in his heart. He looked at the mountains again, the sense of longing still tugging at his soul even as he felt the tugging on his back. He spoke quietly as he looked at the ground, almost ashamed to ask his question. "Is it wrong to want to stay here?"

But when he looked back at Ygraine, he saw that she was still smiling at him with deep understanding and compassion. "Arthur - none who walk here ever want to go back." She ran her hand affectionately through her son's hair, pushing it back from his eyes. "I, too, wish that you could stay, but you must answer Merlin's call. But…" She paused and took his hands again, and the radiant smile returned to her face. "But when you do finally return here, it will only feel like you have been gone for the blink of an eye."

Arthur stood with his gaze fixed on his mother's face for a few moments, before speaking again. "How do I go back?"

Ygraine looked down at their hands that were still clasped, and then looked into Arthur's eyes once more. "You let go."

Arthur took one last lingering look at his mother, raised her hands to his lips and kissed them, smiled at her one last time, and then let go.

- O -

In an instant, the beauty and peace dissolved into a darkness that was filled with noise and confusion, the sounds of shouting and anguished weeping, and the stench of battle. Arthur's whole body jolted and was filled with a sickening pain. But then a golden light suddenly flooded his body, and then everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Arthur opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times in the bright light that had managed to creep in through the gap in the heavy curtains. He lay there for a moment feeling utterly disoriented and a slight look of perplexity came to his face as he tried to work out where he was and how he got there. _He was lying on his side….. and he was in his own chambers….. and he seemed to have pillows or bolsters against his back, presumably to stop him turning over. That was the easy bit. But beyond that…._ And then he groaned. Although he felt considerable discomfort and not a small amount of pain in his back, the groan was as much as anything the sort that he often let out when Merlin opened the curtains in the morning and he just wanted to be left to sleep.

"Welcome back, your majesty." Gaius moved around the bed and came into Arthur's very limited field of vision.

"Did I go somewhere?" Arthur's voice sounded slow and slightly slurred, not to mention slightly muffled by the fact that his face was half buried in a pillow. He was also finding out just how much of an effort it was to say anything.

"Well, that's a very interesting question, my lord." But Gaius didn't elaborate any further at that point. "You've only just missed the Queen. I sent her to get some sleep in the room next door. She wanted so much to be here when you woke, but she's been sitting with you ever since we brought you back and all through the night, and she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer." Gaius paused for a moment and scrutinised Arthur before continuing. "How are you feeling, your majesty?"

Arthur thought for a moment, but all he could come up with was a slightly muffled "Strange….." and again it felt like a monumental effort just to say the one word.

Gaius gave a slightly non-committal "Hmmm," before giving a little smile. "Well, I suppose that's not surprising under the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" Arthur went to raise himself slightly to see Gaius better, but immediately turned pale and felt as if he was about to throw up, and collapsed back down onto the pillow, panting.

"It's probably better, your majesty, if you keep lying completely still."

Arthur wasn't going to argue with that. Gaius paused and cocked his head slightly, before continuing. "What exactly do you remember of what happened, sire?"

Arthur lay there thinking. The horrors of the fall of Camelot were swift in coming back to his memory. He remembered the events in the square, then preparing for battle, and then – more hazy in his memory – the confusion and blood and pain of the awful battle. "There was a battle… We defeated them, I think…." He paused. "Merlin… he was there…. we spoke, and…." And then the memory of Mordred, the knife in his hand and Merlin's defencelessness crystalised in his mind, and he was gripped by a sudden, awful fear for his friend's safety, and Gaius heard the note of anxiety and urgency in Arthur's voice when he spoke again.

"Merlin….."

"He's fine – thanks to you. In fact, you could say he's never been better!"

Arthur paused, remembering again everything that had led up to the battle, and there was a slight guiltiness in his voice as he asked the question that seemed to matter more than any other. "Where is he?"

Gaius raised his eyes to look somewhere beyond Arthur, and the king heard the voice that was so familiar coming from behind him. "Where I've always been…." And Merlin walked round the bed so that Arthur could see him. "…. at your side."

Merlin had a warm smile on his face as his and Arthur's eyes met once more. Arthur went to raise himself again, but another sudden wave of nausea forced him rapidly back into a horizontal position.

Gaius sighed with exasperation. "Your majesty, your inability to do what you're told is only matched by that of Merlin! The healing spell probably needs more time to complete its work."

"Healing spell?" Arthur had no energy to either question or resist the use of magic on him at that point. "What for?"

Gaius paused. "A mortal wound."

"Don't understand," came Arthur's still muffled response.

"I'm not sure any of us do, your majesty." Gaius looked at Arthur with curiosity. "Do you remember anything more of what happened, sire?"

Arthur lay there thinking again, but there was just a huge blank between setting his eyes on Mordred and waking up in his chambers.

_In fact, Arthur never remembered any of his encounter with Ygraine in the meadow – but there were still distant echoes of it that crept in on his mind at unexpected moments in his life. Guinevere would sometimes catch him with a faraway look in his eyes when they were out in the fields around Camelot on a warm summer's day. A light breeze would suddenly bring the scent of a wild flower, and it would be as if Arthur's mind was momentarily somewhere else, trying to catch an elusive recollection of a dream or a long forgotten memory - then the moment would be gone. And there would be a strange stirring in his heart, an unfathomable longing – for what, he knew not - whenever he caught sight of distant mountains bathed in sunshine. But the sweetest echo of all was his thoughts of his mother. Although he never understood why, whenever he thought about Ygraine after that day, it was never with the deep sadness that there had been before. Instead, there would be a smile on his face and the feeling that she was never very far away._

_And just as Arthur never remembered what happened as he lay fallen on the battlefield of Camlann, Merlin never forgot it. As he had knelt sobbing, cradling Arthur's body in his arms, he had suddenly heard something like a whisper on the wind or a voice that was so quiet that it was more like a thought in his mind – and what he heard was just five words: "The Once and Future King." He wondered at that moment why he had never thought to ask the meaning of those words, but he suddenly knew it without having to be told. And in the depths of his being stirred words that he had not learned, words of magic that - like those in the dragon's tongue - were embedded deep in his soul from birth. And he spoke out the words that had been given to him, words that gave him the power to call back into the lands of the living the one whose soul was knit so closely with his. _

Arthur looked back at Gaius and shook his head slightly to indicate he remembered nothing, but even the effort of shaking his head made him groan again. "What did happen?"

"Well, maybe that needs to wait until you're fully recovered, your majesty. But I think we can safely say that there is probably only one person who can really give you any sort of explanation – the one person you need to thank for the fact that you and those you love are all alive today."

Arthur looked at his friend again, knowing exactly who the physician meant.

"I think we need to have a chat, Merlin," slurred Arthur, but he had a wry smile on the half of his face that wasn't obscured by the pillow.

His friend grinned back at him. "But not now. You need to sleep, Arthur, so that the healing can be completed." And with that Merlin approached him and laid a hand on the king's forehead. But then he paused and suddenly withdrew his hand, and asked gently, "May I?"

Arthur gave a little nod, and Merlin put his hand back on his forehead, but as he did so, he caught the expression in his eyes, and said quietly, "Don't be afraid, Arthur."

And Arthur felt like he was a small child again, being taken into a new and large and daunting world, and having to be reassured by a grown up that there was nothing to be scared of. And Arthur finally let go of a lifetime of fear and prejudice, and put himself in Merlin's hands, and as the words of magic flowed effortlessly from Merlin's lips, Arthur felt himself being wrapped in a soft, warm, dark blanket that was so soothing that within only a couple of seconds he had fallen into a deep sleep from which he would not awaken until several hours later when his healing was complete.

Gaius moved closer to Merlin and put his hand on the young warlock's shoulder. Merlin looked up into his old friend's face, and they both smiled - but neither spoke. Instead they simply gave each other a little nod, but each saw in the other's eyes with the same thing as their own – tears.

- O –

For the first time ever, the large wooden table in Arthur's chambers was set for three, and Arthur pulled out a chair for his servant to join him and Gwen for supper. Arthur was wearing a dressing robe that was richly embroidered in blues and purples. It had been a present to him from his wife, and was part of her ploy to stop him constantly wandering around half naked in their room. Not that _she_ minded that, of course, but she was very aware of the increasing number of interruptions to their privacy that came with Arthur being king. And she wanted her husband to at least try to look a little more respectable when some subject or other arrived early in the morning or late at night with some urgent business to attend to. When Arthur had protested that his state of undress had never mattered in the past, Guinevere had simply given him the sort of withering look that only a wife could and replied pointedly, _it never mattered __to you__!_ But old habits died hard with Arthur. So, when Arthur had finally arisen relatively late on in the day, feeling more refreshed than he had done for a very long time, she was ready with the robe for him, and for once he was happy to oblige.

It was the first time Merlin had ever sat down to eat with the king and the queen. He had shared numerous camp meals with Arthur when the pair had been out on some mission on their own or with the knights. He had eaten meals with Gwen before when she had sometimes cooked a dish for him and Gaius, back in the earlier days of his time in Camelot. But sitting with just Arthur and Guinevere - as friends, as equals – felt both strange and completely natural at the same time. Arthur's appetite had returned with a vengeance, and both he and Merlin devoured the meal that had been brought up to them from the palace kitchens with great enthusiasm as Gwen filled Arthur in on what had been happening in Camelot and in court whilst he had been unconscious, but she left out the details of those who had fallen in the battle. Although she and Arthur would, in due course, share with each other the darker details of the events that had cast such a deep shadow over their land and their lives, neither felt ready to return to those days yet, and so the queen largely spoke of how order was being restored and of the good wishes for Arthur's health that had been expressed by so many members of the court, but also by the ordinary people of the city in many touching ways.

The re-telling of the recent events meant that Gwen's plate remained largely untouched, but she did then have a chance to catch up. As Arthur was helping himself to a sizeable second portion – which didn't get the look from his wife that it normally would have, given the noticeable amount of weight he had lost over the preceding days – he paused before resuming eating. He leant back in his chair and fixed Merlin with a quizzical look. "What was it like, Merlin – before you came to Camelot? When did you first know you had magic?" And as Arthur and Gwen ate and listened, Merlin began to tell them of his childhood, of how he had known he had magic as early as he knew anything and of his exploits with Will as they had grown up. Arthur almost choked on a mouthful as Merlin recounted one particular story of a rabbit, a squirrel and a rather lame attempt to convince an elderly villager that rabbits could actually climb trees. Merlin also spoke of the concern that his mother had had for him over the years, and by the time Merlin reached the story of how Hunith had sent him to Camelot with the letter for Gaius, the food on the plates of both king and queen had long since been finished.

With almost perfect timing, there was a knock on the door, and a head tentatively appeared around it. "Excuse this interruption your majesties, but I was wondering if you were now ready to permit me the honour of clearing the table for you, and furnishing you with any further victuals that you may require for the remainder of the evening?"

"Yes, thank you George, that would be lovely." Guinevere was always more gentle and gracious in her dealings with the over-efficient servant than her husband could manage, and she noticed that both Merlin and Arthur's mouths were twitching slightly as they watched George give another display of extreme proficiency in table-clearing.

"Oh, and George, could you bring us another flagon of wine, please?" George gave a little bow to the king. "If it pleases your highness, I would like to suggest that on this occasion you might like to sample one of three rather excellent new wines that are in the cellar. The first of them was made from the grapes of…." But any further detailed explanation of the relative merits of the three vintages was curtailed by Arthur simply holding his hand up. "George, we are happy to leave the choice to your better judgment. Just bring us whichever you think is best." This clearly delighted George, whose face almost immediately took on a more serious expression as he steeled himself for the new and weighty responsibility with which the king had entrusted him. "And might I be so bold as to suggest that your majesties might also like a platter of sweetmeats from the kitchen."

"Thank you, George, that's a very thoughtful suggestion." The servant was positively glowing with pride at the queen's comment as he finally left the room, leaving the table looking spotless and with a pile of plates balanced skilfully on his right arm. Arthur and Merlin grinned at each other, which earned them both the playful rebuke "Stop it, you two!" from Gwen. Merlin simply looked at Arthur and joked, "Just think how much more weight you would have put on if you hadn't had me for a servant!"

It felt as though they had barely had time to stand up from the table before George returned with the promised food and drink, which he placed on a small low table near the fireplace, before closing the curtains for the night, and bidding them a pleasant evening, adding as he left that he would be ready to attend to any further needs that might arise, and that he would be nearby should they need him. As the door closed, Arthur picked up the flagon of wine, and poured a goblet of the rich, plum-coloured liquid for both Guinevere and Merlin, and handed it to them before pouring one for himself. He beckoned them both over to the seats near the fire, and they settled down there, with Arthur and Gwen sitting on the large couch that now resided in their chambers. It had been added to the furniture there shortly after they were married, to allow them to sit together in the rare moments of ease that their lives allowed. Arthur relaxed back into the couch with his arm around Gwen as she leant against him, and before speaking, he took a long look at Merlin who was sitting on the opposite side of the low table to him, thinking back to that first day they had met, when Merlin had called him _friend. _Arthur smiled warmly at the young man who had become the very epitome of that word. "I want to know everything, Merlin. Tell me all the things that I don't know about your time in Camelot. Don't leave anything out – tell me what really happened."

And so Merlin began the telling of a story, the like of which neither Arthur nor Guinevere had heard before. He told them of his first day in Camelot and how the very first thing that Gaius had seen of him was his magic. He remembered his first encounter with Kilgarrah word for word, and was at ease enough with Arthur to joke about how he'd described him as an idiot to the dragon. He told them of the ability he had to slow the flow of events around him, and how that had been the reason he'd been able to save Arthur's life for the very first time – resulting in Uther appointed him as Arthur's manservant. The stories continued, but there was an interruption just after he'd related how he'd healed Gwen's father when Nimueh had poisoned the water supply (leading him, he reminded Arthur, to actually confess to the court that he had magic – a confession that Arthur had laughed off). Although the king had specifically told the guards on the door that they were not to be disturbed that evening, there was one man who would not or could not be stopped by the guards, and that was the king's physician.

Arthur smiled as the old man entered the room. "Gaius – I'm glad you're here. Come and join us."

Gaius raised his eyebrows at the young man. "That is very kind, your majesty, and it _will_ be a pleasure to join you. But not until I've done what I came do – which is check on my patient."

Arthur raised his goblet to him: "I'm feeling absolutely fine, that's the check over, now come and have a seat."

Gaius sighed and folded his arms, and when he spoke his tone was full of the gentle, good natured sarcasm that Merlin was only too familiar with. "My lord, I'm sure a lifetime of medical experience has qualified you to make that judgment, but I feel it is possibly wise to offer my lesser medical skills to give a second opinion."

Gwen knew Arthur only too well to expect that Gaius would be able to budge him from his comfortable position on the couch for a medical inspection. "Gaius, believe me, judging by the amount he ate at supper, he really is back to normal! Please come and sit with us."

"On your own heads be it!" But the old physician had a smile on his face as he came to join them by the fire. In a matter of moments, Merlin had pulled another chair from the table over to the little group, and had poured Gaius some wine. An expectant hush fell and Merlin continued his story.

It was fortunate that the warlock's elderly mentor had joined them, because it soon became apparent that he was able to add to the story, particularly giving details that Merlin – because of his modesty – might have been tempted to leave out. One of his first contributions, which left both Arthur and Gwen dumbstruck and shaking their heads in wonder, was to tell how Merlin, whilst suffering a life-threatening fever as a result of the Morteus plant, had conjured the silver orb of light that had guided Arthur (many leagues away) out of danger and to safety when he had been in search of the cure to Merlin's fever. Arthur simply asked quietly and to no one in particular, "How is that even possible?" He shook his head and with a mystified expression on his face said to Merlin, "I knew that there was someone who realised that I was in trouble and had sent help. How could I ever have guessed it was you?"

The stories continued, and Merlin spoke of how Lancelot had discovered his magic, which gave Arthur a certain amount of satisfaction when he realised that Lancelot hadn't, after all, been able to succeed by himself in killing the griffin when he himself had failed. He told of his first encounter with Mordred, but as soon as Merlin began to explain about the sword that had been forged in the dragon's breath, Arthur interrupted, leaping ahead in the story as he saw where it would eventually lead. "So you were making up the story about the sword in the stone!" There was a certain amount of good-natured indignation in his response, and it was accompanied by a rather comical glare at Merlin.

"Oh, come on Arthur, it worked, didn't it? And if you weren't so much of an ignoramus about history then you might have known that for yourself!"

Thankfully for Merlin, Arthur was in no mood to do anything other than see the funny of it. "Just get on with the real story then!"

More than once that evening Gaius intervened and told of how Merlin had saved Uther's life, and then Arthur and Gwen became very quiet as Gaius went on to tell how Merlin had offered his life for Arthur's, as the prince had lain dying from the bite of the Questing Beast, and how it had been the young sorcerer rather than the physician who had provided the cure for Arthur's fatal wound – water from the cup of life. But those events also stirred other memories, and Arthur squeezed Gwen affectionately: "I still remember the words that you spoke to me when you were tending to my fever. Is it possible to fall in love with someone when you're unconscious?" They kissed briefly, before Gwen spoke to Merlin with a look of deep gratitude. "Thank you for saving my husband."

The stories continued with tales of ancient sorcerers, druids and angry trolls, and the recounting of how Merlin had enchanted the witchfinder evoked laughter from all present, although Merlin did have to confess to being the real reason for the presence of the witchfinder in Camelot in the first place. The lights across Camelot began to go out and the candles burned low as Merlin told them of Freya. Once again there was silence in the room, apart from the low lilt of Merlin's voice. Both Arthur and Gwen looked close to tears as Merlin spoke of her and as Arthur realised that he had been responsible for mortally wounding the only woman that Merlin had ever loved. When Merlin related how he had sent her body out onto the lake in a small boat, a tear rolled down the queen's cheek, and Arthur said in a quiet, choked voice, "And I thought you were upset because I'd thrown water over you."

And there was a similar silence a short while later, as Merlin revealed that Balinor had been his father. This time it was Arthur who was most deeply affected by the revelation, remembering how he had watched Merlin shedding tears as the father whom he had only known for a matter of hours had been slain before him, and then having to put all his heartbreak to one side to return to Camelot and face the dragon. They all sat in silence for a while before Arthur finally said, "We will make sure his memory is honoured – he gave his life for you and for Camelot. And he was your father." After another pause, a little smile came to the king's face. "Maybe a bronze statue of a dragon somewhere in Camelot?" The suggestion obviously delighted Merlin, whose whole face seemed to light up. But before he continued with his tale, he held out his hand and uttered a short incantation which resulted, much to Gwen's delight and Arthur's amazement, in a large log suddenly rising up out of the wicker basket near the grate and depositing itself on the fire which was, by this time, not much more than smouldering embers. The familiar word _Forbearne!_ caused the log to burst into flame, and bring to the room a welcome burst of heat.

By the time Merlin was telling them of his encounter with Morgana in the crypt that led to the defeat of the army of the dead, Camelot had fallen silent and Gwen was snuggling into Arthur with a richly woven throw over her to keep out the chill of the night. But when Merlin confessed to having let the goblin out of its lead cage, Arthur rolled his eyes and exclaimed (remembering his donkey ears) "You idiot, Merlin!" and threw his empty goblet at him. The goblet, of course, came to an abrupt stop in mid-air and Merlin gracefully glided it back toward Arthur, causing the wine flagon to rise up and meet it, and tip itself up so as to refill the goblet. Merlin then made the cup float back over to his friend, but as Arthur - shaking his head in wonder - went to take the goblet from its position in mid-air, Merlin chose that moment to move the goblet closer. The result was a copious quantity of wine being spilled over Arthur's clothes, and the exclamation "Great! I go from having the clumsiest servant in the five kingdoms to having the clumsiest sorcerer!" Everyone laughed, and Merlin gave Arthur one of his looks as he responded, "Ah, but even a clumsy sorcerer can do this!" and with that he uttered another spell which resulted in the wine instantly disappearing from Arthur's clothing.

Yet another interruption came shortly after this. Merlin had been just about to launch into the story of the crystal cave, and had been relating how he and Arthur were being chased by bandits armed with crossbows, when Gwen suddenly raised herself and exclaimed, "And they shot Arthur in the back, didn't they?" Merlin stopped mid-sentence and stared at her in amazement, knowing that he had only told Gaius about what had really happened. "Yes – but how did you know?" but then Merlin caught a comical look on Arthur's face that seemed to indicate that he knew what was coming next – and wasn't particularly looking forward to it. Gwen, instead of answering, looked triumphantly at her husband: "You owe me five new dresses, Arthur Pendragon!"

Merlin looked at the couple with a quizzical expression on his face, and Gwen duly obliged with an explanation.

"Shortly after we were married, Arthur and I were in bed, and I was…." Arthur reddened slightly at the memory, and averted his gaze from the other two men, a little smile on his face. Fortunately, his wife decided to leave the details of that particular encounter unspoken. "…. Anyway, let's just say that I noticed a scar on Arthur's back. I asked him what had caused the scar, and he said, _I haven't got a scar on my back, _and I said, _yes, you have, _and he said, _no, I haven't, _and that went on for a little until Arthur…." She broke off again, and it was her who blushed slightly this time. Arthur simply quickly interjected, "….. until I asked what this _scar _looked like."

Gwen then interrupted again and resumed telling her story "I told him it looked like a scar from an arrow, and he said something along the lines of, _I think I would have known if I had been shot in the back with an arrow, _but I told him that I had helped Gaius on enough occasions to recognise the scar from an arrow when I saw one, but someone who shall remain nameless still wouldn't believe me, and said (I quote), _If I was shot in the back with an arrow, I'll buy you five new dresses."_

Before Arthur could respond, Merlin simply offered his suggestion. "Look at it this way, Arthur: it's probably a small price to pay for still being alive!"

Merlin's tales continued as the night wore on, and Arthur was almost relieved to hear about the true nature of the Eye of the Phoenix which Morgana had given him before he had set out on his quest to the perilous lands. He'd always felt slightly guilty that he had required the help of Merlin and Gwaine to complete the quest that he was supposed to accomplish on his own to prove his worthiness to be king. And when Merlin related his encounter with Grettir, the penny finally dropped, and Arthur shook his head and rolled his eyes at what now seemed completely obvious, "Of course! You were _magic_, and Gwaine was _strength_." And shortly after this, the king and queen fell silent once again, as Merlin related how he had taken on the appearance of the old sorcerer, putting his own life at risk, to ensure that Guinevere was saved from being burnt at the stake. Not for the first time that evening, Arthur said with great feeling and sincerity, "I don't know how we can ever thank you, Merlin." The little group fell silent for a few moments, before Arthur's brow furrowed slightly at a fresh memory. "Hang on a minute! What was it you said about me when you were standing before my father in the council chambers?" Merlin grinned. "I think I said you were _a spoilt, arrogant brat with the brains of a donkey and the face of a toad._" Arthur looked, for a moment, as if he were going to throw something else at Merlin, but then clearly thought better of it as he remembered Merlin's powers, and simply joined in the laughter of the others instead.

There followed the accounts of the Cailleach and of Lancelot's sacrifice, the attempt to heal Uther and why it had failed. Arthur then sat dumbfounded as he was told of Merlin's attempts to kill him whilst under the spell of the fomorroh, although his servant's incompetence as an assassin also caused him to laugh until he cried. Merlin had been going to avoid any further mention of Lancelot, but Arthur had questioned him about the events that had surrounded Gwen's supposed betrayal, as finally Arthur had something to add to the story that Merlin didn't know – Morgana's admission to him of Guinevere's innocence in the matter. Merlin was then able to speak freely of how Lancelot – the true Lancelot, rather than the shade - had not betrayed the king either, and another peaceful silence fell on them all again, as they were finally able to remember Camelot's most noble knight without his memory being sullied.

As Merlin continued to share his tale, fresh candles had to be lit, and Gaius began to listen to the young warlock with his head back against the chair and his eyes closed. Gwen had drawn her legs up onto the couch, and she lay curled up, with her head in Arthur's lap and the throw over her. She had had less sleep than the others over the preceding few days, and although she desperately wanted to listen to the story, she found herself beginning to doze, and with Arthur gently stroking her hair and the comfort of feeling so safe beside her husband, she found it harder and harder to stay awake. Arthur smiled as he felt her breathing become steady and regular, and lent down and kissed her forehead lightly as she finally fell asleep. So she missed the horrified look on Arthur's face, when Merlin told him how he had almost killed her with his crossbow, when Morgana had cast a spell on her that made her take on the form of doe. And even Gauis was finally asleep by the time that Merlin recounted the spell he that had cast on Arthur, and his master's time as the village idiot.

Arthur, however, was in no danger of falling asleep, as his fascination with everything that Merlin was telling him kept his attention rapt and his curiosity piqued. Time and time again, he would have an incredulous look on his face, the frequency of which was only matched by the expressions of heartfelt gratitude, and as Merlin began the final chapters of his story as the night approached its end, his king, master and friend continued to hang on every word with wonder.

And when the story was finally told and Merlin had finished telling the last details of how he had held Arthur on the battlefield, understood the meaning of his name and found the magic deep within not only to call Arthur back but to heal his body, the two young men sat in silence for a while, both in deep thought – but were suddenly interrupted by a gentle snore from Gaius. They grinned as they looked at both him and Guinevere. "Do you think I bored them?" Merlin's quietly spoken question (mindful of the two who were sleeping) evoked another laugh from Arthur, who then shook his head and gazed long and hard at the servant who had become the closest friend that he had ever known. Arthur's eyes didn't leave Merlin as he quietly said - slowly and deliberately - words that had been forming in his mind throughout the time that Merlin had been relating the truth of what had happened over the years since they had first met: "Gaius once said to me, Merlin, that he hoped that one day I would understand just how much others had done for me." He paused and smiled warmly at his friend. "I think I finally do, and I know that I wouldn't be sitting here now with those I love if it wasn't for you. I owe you everything, Merlin."

Neither of them spoke for a moment, but continued to hold each other's gaze as the other two slept. And then Merlin's face finally broke into a broad grin. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world!"

Arthur smiled back, "Neither would I."

Merlin slowly rose to his feet and walked over to the window. The sun had just risen above the horizon and its rays were beginning to filter in around the edges of the curtains. Merlin parted the drapes and let the early morning sunlight stream into the room. He stood there, looking out on Camelot for several moments, before turning to face the king again. "It's a new day, Arthur."

Arthur smiled again, "You're right Merlin – it is." He paused before adding, "Hungry?"

A night without sleep had left them both with empty stomachs. "You bet!"

And despite the fact that it was hours earlier than Arthur normally rose, he cocked his head and said to Merlin, "Breakfast?"

Merlin nodded and then, without prompting, both men simultaneously broke into broad grins and uttered the same single word; "George!"

They decided that before venturing out of the room, it would be better if Arthur were dressed, but first Arthur gently extricated himself from Gwen's sleeping form, scooped her up in his arms, and took his sleeping wife over to their bed, gently laying her down there, before covering her with one of the bed covers. She murmered quietly without opening her eyes, "Is it morning?" but Arthur whispered "Go back to sleep," before softly stroking her forehead and then kissing it. A little smile came to her face, before she drifted off into slumber again. Merlin put a cushion behind Gaius' head, and similarly covered the elderly physician, who was still sleeping soundly, with a blanket. The two young men then wandered over to Arthur's wardrobe, and Arthur looked at his servant and asked, "So, where do we go from here, Merlin?"

"Maybe it's time you finally learned to dress yourself….." Merlin joked, as he pulled a red tunic out of the wardrobe and threw it at, rather than to, Arthur.

"That's rich coming from a man who puts on exactly the same clothes every day of the year!"

Merlin paused, and waited till Arthur's head appeared out of the top of the shirt before speaking again. He looked steadily at the king. "I once said that I was happy to serve you until the day I die." He paused again and then added. "I still am."

He handed Arthur his trousers, and as he pulled them on, the king replied quietly and with possibly a greater degree of humility than Merlin had ever seen, "I can hardly expect you to be my manservant any more. I've seen your powers, Merlin, and if anything, you should be in my place, and I in yours."

Merlin handed him his boots with a grin, "Yeah, but I'd be a lousy king!"

"True – you would."

When both boots were finally on, and Arthur had finished fastening a leather belt around his waist, he put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know what I need most, Merlin – and that's a wise counsellor at my side. Someone I can trust with my life, whose judgment I value and who I know won't just tell me what I want to hear. I'd like that person to be you."

"And I assume that also means someone to save your royal butt every time you're a prat and get yourself into trouble."

"Shut up, Merlin!" The words were said more for old times' sake than anything, and with that they started walking towards the door.

"So, in other words, you just want me to keep on doing what I've been doing since the day I met you – with the exception of washing your royal socks." Arthur opened the door, put his arm round Merlin's shoulder, and smiled at his friend as he replied, "I suppose it is!"

And with that, they went out into the deserted corridor, in search of George and of breakfast, and as the new day dawned over Camelot, both men were finally able to go forward into a future that was not shackled by dark prophecies of doom, to write together the chapters of a legend that would be remembered and retold by countless generations to come.

_**Author's note**_

_**So that's how I'd like the series to end. Apologies to any who didn't want to see Morgana killed off, but it was difficult to get round the Cailleach's words to her, and after her performance in the opening episodes of Series 5, any redemption seems less likely. I do admit, however, that my dealing with her was rushed so that I could get to the heart of the story. Hope you enjoyed the story – have tweaked slightly chapters 1 and 2 since originally posting.. Any comments are always gratefully received via reviews. **_


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